Many insomniacs spend countless hours a night tossing and turning before they are lucky enough to fall into sleep. For such a widespread epidemic affecting 33% of all adults, how is this being dealt with and more importantly, is there a solution?
For the majority, sleeping aids pills are being relied upon to counter this problem. But are sleeping pills really an effective solution to insomnia? Do they really work? And what are the long term affects from prolonged use?
Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable in the world, making an estimated 500+ billion dollars worth of sales each year. Millions are spent each year on their advertising campaigns alone.
You may have seen these countless pharmaceutical adverts on TV selling the idea of a perfectly happy and healthy life all through ‘X’ brand drug. In fact their successful advertising campaigns have turned many pharmaceutical drugs into household names.
As tempted as you may want to rush out to see your doctor about ‘X’ brand drug, which is the exact emotional attachment that lines their pockets, it’s a good idea to consider the alternatives. I do however recommend that you seek professional medical advice. Your doctor may be able to advise what action you can take and recommend alternatives.
Most sleeping pills contain chemicals that interfere with your normal brain wave patterns which can break down your body’s natural sleep cycle. Prolonged use can affect your natural ability to sleep causing ‘rebound insomnia.
Sleep is a complex process split into several stages which are essential for restoring the brain and body’s functions. Although sleeping pills may send you to sleep, you may not enter the deeper stages of sleep which are vital for restoration. You may find that you wake up feeling groggy, drowsy or tired. You may also experience one of many side effects including urinary retention, blurred vision, dizziness and palpitations.
As you continue to take sleeping pills as with all drugs, your body will build tolerance and you may find that they do not have the same effect. Many people increase their dosage to because of this, however this can often be disastrous and a huge risk to your health.
So you have to ask the question, do these big corporations have our health and wellbeing in mind? Considering that an estimated 100,000 deaths occur in the America alone due to adverse drug reactions, and we never seem to be informed of this, I’ll leave you to decide.
But don’t despair there are far more effective solutions out their besides sleeping pills. In fact if you really knew the truth about sleep, you probably wouldn’t touch sleeping pills with a barge pole.
So what are the alternatives? Firstly you need to realize that insomnia is a very serious issue and that treating it like a cold or cough isn’t going to help. By that I mean taking a few sleeping pills and hoping the problem will go away. It’s absolutely ludicrous to think that sleeping pills are the solution. Sure they may knock you out but no more than a well aimed baseball bat to the head. They are not a long term or permanent solution.
If you absolutely have to consider taking something, try a natural remedy like Valerian, Lemon balm or hops. Remember that sleep doesn’t begin as soon as you rest your head on your pillow. Your day reflects your ability to sleep at night. If you’re rushing around all day experiencing stress, anxiety and worry the chances of you experiencing sleeplessness is high.
When tackling insomnia, the underlying problem needs to be addressed as well as the symptoms. The easiest step to take in correcting your sleep cycle is by paying attention to your sleep habits. By taking steps to improve your sleep habits you will find that sleep comes more easily.
If you want to learn how to fall into sleep, stay tuned and I will be delivering a practical guide in how to improve your sleep habits.
